Love Deluxe (1992)

Sade Adu never strains or oversells an emotion, and on headphones that restraint becomes the whole point. Paul Denman's deep, rounded bass, Stuart Matthewman's muted saxophone and guitar, and Andrew Hale's keyboards leave wide pockets of air around her voice. Start with No Ordinary Love, then let Cherish the Day show how little the band needs to play to fill the room.